Thoughts about Man charged as Brock denounces hateful, violent nature of protest

On November 1^st last week, there was a man held a sign and protest in the Glenridge Ave, which is the only way to get to the Brock University, also a quick path that students in the International Center can easily access to Brock campus. On that day, after I done my seminar class at 4 pm when I access to my social media, which is called WeChat (assemble to WhatsApp Messenger) as usual, I consumed myself as a ritualized audience. In the chapter 5 Uses and Gratifications, Sullivan (2013, p. 117) states that ritualized audiences tended to use TV more habitually, watching in order to consume time or to be diverted from other activities. For myself, I was just getting tired after I took off the class, and the only thing I want to do is scrolling my iPhone screen and check the social media, even though I’m not interested in what people on social media are posting. The reason why I was doing this is because I just want to consume time and trying to avoid other coming up stuff for a moment, it’s just a habit. After I check out all the new posts from my friends I found out that this man’s protest is crazy passing through around the “moments” which is a space that friends can share photos and personal life experiences in it. By looking at the whole thing, there are some thoughts showed up on my mind.

The first thing come to my mind is this man is meeting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In the chapter 5 Uses and Gratifications, according to Sullivan (2013, p. 115), Maslow outlined a basic need hierarchy as the foundation for the motivation of all human beings. From this point, I think this man is meeting the “higher order” need, which is self-actualization. This man may be dissatisfied with current living and job situation, because he said “Trump is right, bring our jobs back” in the sign, so he held sign and protest could satisfy himself in deep that after the protest, the way that he hoped things working on might become true.

Second, after this protest happened. I believe my friends and I is getting emotional hurt in certain ways because he uses the F word to against China and Mexico. For this point, I will use expectancy-value theory to explain. In the chapter 5 Uses and Gratifications, Sullivan (2013, p. 121) states that expectancy-value theory talks about individual approach new situations and information with a built-in set of beliefs and expectations, and these expectations in turn shape motivations in these new situations. There are three kinds of beliefs mentioned in the expectancy-value theory. I think my friends and I meet the informational beliefs. Informational beliefs are formed by accepting information from outside sources that has not been directly observed (Sullivan, 2013, p. 121). The reason why I choose Canada to study in first place is because Canada is a multinational and freedom country in my notion, which I get this information from outside sources, so I never think about this kind of protest will happen and it’s kind in the front of my eyes, I mean it was so close to me and influence my emotion. Second, after this man’s protest, it kind blows up in the WeChat “moments”, because people are thinking about he’s being racial discrimination.

Third, on November 2^nd, Brock News posts this news in the Brock website and clarifies the whole thing. It delays one day after this protest happened. I will use time-shifting to address the delay. In the chapter 7 Reception Contexts and Media Rituals, Sullivan (2013, p. 165) states that the rise of digital technologies such as Tivo and web-based forms of television and film distribution such as YouTube, audiences are more frequently time-shifting exposure. So this could explain why the protest happened on November 1^st, but Brock News posted online on November 2^nd. Also, time-shifting allows us to view this news at more convenient times and in a variety of media platforms because we can access to Brock website from computers, iPhones or tablets.